Resize after wet tumbling?

[PapaWheelie]

I recently ordered my first wet tumbler and was looking to order some pins. Looking at the Guntap pins I saw that they state you need to resize after tumbling. I quote "You can size your brass prior to cleaning, but you will want to resize after cleaning to ensure any small deformations that may occur during cleaning are eliminated".

I do not have a universal deprimer, only the standard sizer/deprimer and reload 9mm and 357. I sure do not relish the idea of having to resizing twice, before and after tumbling.

Thoughts? Is that sizing after tumbling really needed?

 

[Nevada Ed]

Just toss the fired brass in the setup and clean it.................
then Size the cases, no big thing.

What little sediment is found in the primer hole, will not harm the new primer or your loads.

 

[rockquarry]

If you really have to resize the brass twice, that's a pretty inefficient process, despite the fact that some might mistakenly call it an "upgrade".

 

[Peak53]

I'm in tumble first, resize later camp. Don't make this hard.

 

[PapaWheelie]

I'm in tumble first, resize later camp. Don't make this hard.

I certainly agree, the whole idea of getting into wet was to make life easier, not harder. How come, of all the videos watched and info read, nobody mentioned resizing after cleaning? All seemed to be about the sparkling primer pocket.

 

[Golphin]

Not sure how many cases you will be cleaning and resizing but with a prep center it would be easy to clean the primer pockets if you feel they need to be cleaned. I don't clean mine unless they look really dirty for some reason or have media stuck in the after tumbling. I do inspect them before priming.

 

[kbm6893]

I like clean brass. When I come back from the range with my brass I use the wet tumbler without pins just for a quick cleaning before I resize. I then expand the brass and into a bin they go. When there’s enough to warrant a real wet rumble I wet tumble with pins. The primer pockets and inside are now very clean. When they’re dry I give a quick tumble with crushed walnut just to make them easier to cycle in the dies. They look like new.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but the tumblers so all the work and I walk away. I rarely shoot more than 150 rounds at a time so resizing and expanding that little takes very little time. The cleaning is started and I walk away.

I honestly find the process very satisfying. Taking filthy range brass and making it look new.

 

[PapaWheelie]

I like clean brass. When I come back from the range with my brass I use the wet tumbler without pins just for a quick cleaning before I resize. I then expand the brass and into a bin they go. When there’s enough to warrant a real wet rumble I wet tumble with pins. The primer pockets and inside are now very clean. When they’re dry I give a quick tumble with crushed walnut just to make them easier to cycle in the dies. They look like new.

This was what my plan was originally. The range I shoot at has very sandy soil. The sand get everywhere and I now wash well before sizing/decapping to prevent damage to the dies. My plan was to add tumbling with pins after sizing to get the brass and pockets clean.
KBM, then I'm assuming that you do not resize again after tumbling with pins, correct?

 

[kbm6893]

This was what my plan was originally. The range I shoot at has very sandy soil. The sand get everywhere and I now wash well before sizing/decapping to prevent damage to the dies. My plan was to add tumbling with pins after sizing to get the brass and pockets clean.
KBM, then I'm assuming that you do not resize again after tumbling with pins, correct?

Correct. I don’t resize again. Makes no sense to me to do so. The clean with no pins makes them safe to resize and expand without dirtying the dies. The wash with pins gets them spotless, and the dry tumble at the end just polishes them up for going through the bullet seating and crimping die.

One thing I’ll tell you is to definitely use case lube after you run them through the wet tumbler. The wet tumbling gets them squeaky clean and the cases stick in the dies. Only need to use the lube for before resizing.

 

[series guy]

I decap and size my brass before I wet tumble. After they are clean and dry I prime, charge, and seat the bullet. Never an issue.

 

[Longcarbine]

I would never resize before de-priming and tumbling anyway.

 

[arjay]

If you really want sparkling brass including the primer pocket, just resize and then tumble. At some point you may scratch a resizing die,but so what. It can be replaced pretty cheaply if that ever happens

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

I de-prime the dirty cases with a universal de-priming die. That way your sizing die doesn't get gummed up with powder residue, dirt, and sand. Then wet tumble, so the primer pockets come out like new. No need to touch them. Then re-size with your clean sizing die with de-priming stem removed.

 

[kbm6893]

I de-prime the dirty cases with a universal de-priming die. That way your sizing die doesn't get gummed up with powder residue, dirt, and sand. Then wet tumble, so the primer pockets come out like new. No need to touch them. Then re-size with your clean sizing die with de-priming stem removed.

I tried that and it works but it adds a step of me at the press. I can decap and resize with one pull of the handle. If I use the depriming die I have to do it twice.

But I don’t want to dirty or scratch my dies so a wet tumble without the pins cleans them well enough to resize without dirtying the die. Throwing them in the wet tumbler without pins is no trouble. Not like I have to separate the pins since I’m not using them.

 

[PapaWheelie]

Does anyone just plain omit the pins while using a sure-fire formula for a cleaning solution and still come out with clean, or at least relatively clean, primer pockets?

 

[arjay]

Does anyone just plain omit the pins while using a sure-fire formula for a cleaning solution and still come out with clean, or at least relatively clean, primer pockets?

Barkeepers friend and water in a standard tumbler will do it

 

[22hipower]

Does anyone just plain omit the pins while using a sure-fire formula for a cleaning solution and still come out with clean, or at least relatively clean, primer pockets?

If you want to deprime first it should work although I haven't done it. I bought pins when I got my wet tumbler but have never used them. Toss the brass in the tumbler (with water and a little dish soap and a dash of miracle dishwasher cleaner (Glisten machine cleaner is one) and tumble for 30 minutes to an hour. Gets the brass plenty clean enough for my purposes and then I resize and clean primer pockets. I don't need my brass to look new, although this process is close, I just want them clean before resizing. Works fine for me. I don't see why depriming first and then tumbling wouldn't work too. The combination of detergent and machine cleaner works wonders on brass.

Jeff
SWCA #1457

 

[BRL40]

I tumble first before resizing because I don't like the idea of possible scratches in my carbide die from letting the empties eject onto the dirt/gravel.

 

[DeplorabusUnum]

I tried that and it works but it adds a step of me at the press. I can decap and resize with one pull of the handle. If I use the depriming die I have to do it twice.

But I don’t want to dirty or scratch my dies so a wet tumble without the pins cleans them well enough to resize without dirtying the die. Throwing them in the wet tumbler without pins is no trouble. Not like I have to separate the pins since I’m not using them.

I'm sure that works well too.

 

[mikerjf]

Universal decapper die is pretty cheap, and then you can clean before sizing - keeps crud out of your dies.